Chris Heeter is one of my favorite poets.  Her writings have deepened my appreciation for nature, animals, and the human spirit.

As we move through these last days of December, I share one of her poems, with her permission.

A Solstice blessing…

Less than a week

the light will slowly lengthen.

The temptation, to count the days.

To hold our breath

until daylight stretches

into evening and early morning

forcing back the darkness.

What a relief it will be

these light-starved bodies

to see again

no longer fumbling in darkness.

Still,

somewhere deep inside

past resistance and reason

you know this darkness, too, is your home.

A place you were taught to hurry through

lest you be swallowed by the whale of darkness

never to be seen again.

Your soul knows better.

Your soul knows night is the place of dreams.

Far beyond what seeing eyes call horizon

night eyes know no such boundary.

So on these long nights of winter solstice

may you find your wildest dreams

walking companionably alongside you.

Having waited for you all this time

to turn toward darkness

and find not fear, but peace and courage

and wild abandon toward a life you hadn’t dared live.

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This week, Christians around the world will celebrate the birth of Christ.  Many will perform or experience the glorious words and music of Handel’s Messiah, one of the most popular works in Western choral literature.

The composer, George Frideric Handel, had lost a fortune in his business and had a right arm that was temporarily paralyzed due to a stroke.  Then he wrote Messiah.  

I call that a come-back.

The lesson for me?  When I’m hit with a disappointment in my work, I have two choices.  I can let my frustration and anger paralyze me, or I can choose to find a different way to use my skills.

After losing his business and his money, Handel was smart enough to recognize that his gifts, abilities, and skills still remained.  He moved forward, finding a different way to use those talents.

I guarantee you this.  I don’t ever want to be known as a quitter.  When times get tough, I am going to keep moving, knowing that my Messiah – my next masterpiece — is just a few steps away from reality.

What will your masterpiece look like?

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My mom has had some health issues recently (she is recovering very nicely).  So during the last three weeks I have spent many days in the hospital and doctor’s office.  It has been interesting to watch the interplay and teamwork among the various health care employees.

Doctors, nurses, dieticians, pharmacists, nurses’ aides, specialists, physical therapists, and those that deliver meal trays and make sure the hospital rooms are clean…each of them contributes to the health of the patients they serve.  And each role is important.  Meaningful work contributing to a larger purpose.

They are part of a team as they take turns checking on patients–sticking, probing, taking, and drawing whatever they need to help create better health.  There’s a rhythm to their work, even when they don’t know each other’s names.

Watching this activity reminded me of the sense of place our employment frequently offers.  Our work environment provides structure, routine, and the familiar—good and bad.

So what happens when you become unemployed?  That sense of place is gone.  You have nowhere you have to be Monday morning.  Your 10:00 a.m. bagel run is replaced with checking out monster.com.  And the bantering, teasing, arguing and support that comes from working with people?  Probably replaced by the drone of the TV.

May I suggest this…

During your unemployment, create your own sense of place.  Create a work area that becomes your office.  You are now CEO of John/Jane Doe Finds a Job.  Set your schedule—mark it on the calendar.  What are your office hours?  When is lunch?  Identify your daily goals from your job search strategy.  Create your own team.  Schedule regular meeting times at the local coffee shop with other job seekers or supporters—banter, tease, argue, and support each other.

You are the CEO.  What does your calendar and list of responsibilities look like for the week of January 4^th?

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My long-time friend and business entrepreneur, Alan Furst, is hiring people.  Here are some of the (part-time and full-time) positions he’s looking to fill:

• Sales positions
• Manufacturing positions
• Business Coaching positions

A few more details:

• Building a team of six professional commission sales people for b2b company; local, national, and international sales.
• Promoter/Coordinator to pursue non-profit accounts; commission based.
• Part-time gift consultants; commission based.
• Manufacturing: designing, assembling, packing.  (Position is in Ham Lake, MN)
• Professionals with business experience to work part- or full-time as business coaches.

I’m meeting with Alan next week to learn more about these opportunities.  If you are interested in learning more, send me an email expressing your interest and a copy of your resume.   I’ll see that it gets to Alan along with a note from me.

Perhaps you are a job seeker who planned on continuing in the same line of work you’ve done the last few years.  Nothing wrong with that, of course.  And…your unemployment could introduce you to other careers, and this could be a time to try something different.  Don’t pass up the opportunity to check something out simply because it’s “new.”

You never know when the ‘right thing” is just around the corner.  Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities.  Be grateful.  Start planning for January 2^nd.

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As I mentioned in my last post, technology and I have a love/hate relationship.  I appreciate that it helps me get my work done a lot faster;  computer can help me create a document (error-free) much faster than a manual typewriter.  And it provides support in little areas that enable me to step away from my work more frequently; sending an email gets my message distributed faster than snail mail.

However…

When I’m learning something new on the computer, or my screen goes dark, or one of those silly error messages pops up…my head goes numb.  My blood pressure rises and I wish for the days in corporate America when I could simply call the help desk.

So when I took the leap into the world of social media, I looked for resources.  I couldn’t have survived without them.  Here’s my list of a few of my favorites:

 ~  Mark Holterhaus has been my go-to-guy with questions and suggestions.  Over the phone or in person, consulting support or just-in-time help, his patience has made me one grateful lady.  He’s one of my favorite people to work with.

 ~  Kate-Madonna Hindes is a new contact and friend.  Her article Social Media for Job Seekers is one of the easiest and most interesting articles I’ve read on the topic.  Her blog postings have captured my attention, and I can’t wait to get to know her better.  (Even her name and the name of her company, Girl Meets Geek, makes you want to know more, right?)

~  Jason Alba has the name and business that aligns with all things social media.  He understands how to write and teach to the technically challenged world.  People like me.  (I’m on LinkedIn: Now What?  I’m on FaceBook: Now What?)

Google will help you get connected to thousands of other resources on this topic.  My advice?  Just start doing it.  Learn as you go. 

I’ll see you on line!

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